For Pres. Moon, upcoming summit with Pres. Trump is key to moving ahead in inter-Korean relations

President Moon meets President Trump in Washington this week to discuss ways to move forward with North Korea.And more than ever, he's hoping to find a way to resolve the deadlock in inter-Korean relations.Our Park Hee-jun has more. President Moon Jae-in kick-started the peace drive on the Korean Peninsula,... in a speech in Berlin,... when he made it clear that his goal is to achieve permanent peace."We do not want the collapse of North Korea, nor will we push for unification by absorption. Unification will happen naturally when peace is established on the Korean Peninsula. My administration and I only wish to realize peace."For that, he said engagement between the two Koreas is crucial.The president's commitment,... helped bring about the North's attendance at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a series of inter-Korean summits, family reunions, and cooperation in a range of fields.And the South Korean president has vowed to speed up the process this year."The road to peace is ongoing even at this moment and it will pick up even more speed this year. I will not let my guard down until the promise of denuclearization is fulfilled and peace is institutionalized on the Korean Peninsula."But no actual progress has been made in the first four months of 2019,... mainly due to sharp differences between Pyeongyang and Washington on denuclearization-- the cause of the collapse of the Hanoi summit.On Thursday,... President Moon is expected to work with President Trump to find some middle ground between their differing demands on denuclearization,... so that inter-Korean relations can also move ahead."This South Korea-U.S. summit is the result of our administration's unwavering will to accomplish peace on the Korean Peninsula and President Trump's strong determination to strike a deal with North Korea through dialogue."And although it's been far from an easy journey,... the president said those involved owe it to the past year of unbelievable accomplishments,... to continue trying."We will not and cannot go back to the past. If there is a dead end, we will pierce it, and if the road doesn't exist we will make one together."And this shows how much the upcoming summit means for President Moon.Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.